Obituaries
McGruff The Crime Dog: Ad Exec Who Helped Create, Voice Character Dies In Vermont
John "Jack" Keil was creative director the Dancer Fitzgerald Sample advertising agency when he and his team created the animated dog.
WESTMINSTER, VT — John "Jack" Keil, the advertising executive who headed the team that created McGruff the Crime Dog and voiced the character, died in Westminster West, Vermont. He was 94.
Kiel's family said he died Aug. 25 at his home. The National Crime Prevention Council said Keil was one of the giants in the advertising industry and shared his talents to support crime prevention.
He was creative director the Dancer Fitzgerald Sample advertising agency when he and his team created the animated dog in a trench coat, with the slogan "Take a Bite Out of Crime." (For more information on Keil and other Vermont stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)
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WWII Vet. Athlete. Performer. Dad. Husband. Creator of McGruff the Crime Dog. RIP JOHN KEIL & THANK YOU. Obituary: https://t.co/SvHKQSl8x6 pic.twitter.com/vGSblDTe46
— Police Foundation (@PoliceFound) September 1, 2017
The council said McGruff first appeared in public service announcements in 1980 and is still used today in campaigns in communities around the country to support safety and crime prevention.
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Photo credit: Mike Hoff via Flickr/Creative Commons